Switch lock for railways



NOV. 9,1937. A, E SHIRLEY i 2,098,796

SWITCH LOCK FOR RAILWAYS Filed May 20, 1956 W5/v 70K A. f. Hu/R L f Y Patented Nov. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in switch locks for railways, and the object of the invention is to devise a lock for the switch vlever which will insure of the switch lever being left in the down or inoperative position so that it cannot be swung upward to the operative position by providing vmeans -for preventing the withdrawal of the operating key in any other .lever position than the down or locked position, and it consists essentially of the .arrangement .and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a switch stand showing the operating lever thereof and the means for locking the same in the down position.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View through the upper portion of the switch stand taken longitudinally through the mast arm and to one side of the operating lever and showing such lever in full in the down position and in dotted lines in the up position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my lock removed from the mast arm.

Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of the locking mechanism removed from its casing and showing it in the locking position.

Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig. 4 showing the mechanism in the unlocking position and the outer casing thereof in dotted lines.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional plan view showing the means for securing the switch lock in the mast arm.

In the drawing like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different views.

I indicates a switch stand of any suitable construction provided with an upper quadrant plate or table 2 having end shoulders 2X and 2o against which the switch lever 3 bears to hold the switch in the desired set position according to the usual practice.

4 indicates the lower portion of the target mast which is carried in the switch stand and to which is secured a mast arm 5. The upper portion of the mast arm 5 is extended at the outer end of the arm to form a receiving socket 6 into which the locking mechanism hereinafter described is held. 6X is a slotted opening formed inthe mast arm and extending inwardly from the centre of the recess 6. 'I is the outer casing of my lock which ts the recess B.

Within the casing 'I is tted a block 8 having a central circular recess 8X in its upper portion and a transverse rectangular recess 9 in its lower portion, such recesses merging one into the other as indicated to form an intervening opening 9X.

The recess 9 is preferably inclined as indicated. I0 is a bolt slidably tting within the recess 9. 8 is a slot'ormedin the block i8 4andvextending therethrough and upward to .the transverse recess 9 as clearly 'indicated :in Fig. 5, such slot V5 opening extending at the hack of the recess upward to the top'fof such recess. I,-I and I2 yare channels formed in the block 8 by which vthe recess `9 is drained of any moisture. Thebolt I0 is provided with a transverse rnotch :I0X which is 10 the same Width as the Width of the slot 8. IIJo is a rack which is formed in the upper face of the bolt I0.

I3 is a part gear held to rotate in the circular recess 8 with its teeth extending through the 15 opening 9X to engage the tooth rack I0u of the bolt I0. I3X is a key orifice which is formed in the gear I3, the upper circular portion of the key orifice being concentric with the gear and through which extends a centre pin I4 from the 20 base of the recess with which the key for operating the lock is engaged in theusual manner when inserted in the key orice I3X.

The casing I forming the face plate of the lock is provided with a slotted opening I registering 25 with the slotted opening 8 of the block. 'I'he slotted opening 'IX extends upwardly so as to be in horizontal alignment with the upper edge of the transverse notch I0 of the bolt I0. The casing 1 forming the face plate is also provided 30 with a key orifice Io corresponding in form to the key orice I3 When the bolt I0 is in the locking position the key orifices 'I0 and 13X are in' alignment so as to permit of the insertion or withdrawal of the key. 35

The switch lever 3 is provided with a quadrant plate 3X secured to or formed integral therewith, such quadrant plate forming an end shoulder 3o which, when the lever is in the downward position, is in alignment with the front face of the 40 bolt I0. When it is desired to operate the switch the key is inserted through the key orifices I0 and I3X so as to turn the gear member I3 and thereby move the bolt IIJ longitudinally against the pressure of the spring I5 thereby carrying the 45 notch I0 into registering position with the vertical slots IX and 8.

When in this position the switch lever 3 may be raised, the quadrant plate 3X passing through the slots 'IX and 8 and through the notch I0 50 permitting the lever to assume the raised position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

yBy the turning of the gear I3 as above described, the slotted portion of the key orifice I3X is turned out of alignment with the slotted portion of the key orice 1 as clearly indicated in Fig. 5 so that the key cannot be withdrawn. The switch lever 3 is then swung horizontally to the desired position to operate the switch.

In order to hold the switch in the set position, the lever 3 must be swung down to the full line position of Fig. 2. By reason of the quadrant plate 3X fitting within the notch IllX of the bolt, the bolt IIJ cannot be moved to the locking position until the operating lever is swung downwardly to the full line position and the key cannot be withdrawn from the key slot by reason of their being out of registering position or the position shown in Fig. 5. A switchman will, therefore, know that if he hasnt his key the operating lever of the switch will not have been set in the downward position. When the switch has been set and the lever isY swung to the down position the bolt, by reason of the springv I5 or by gravity, will return to its normal or locking position in front of the shoulder 30 and by such movement the gear I3 will be Vturned so as to bring the slotted portion of the key orifice I3X into alignment with the slotted portion 'I'J thereby permitting the withdrawal of the key. In other words, the key cannot be withdrawn until the operating lever 3 has been returned to its down position.

'Ihe casing I and block 8 are secured within the recess 6 by screws I6.

What I claim as my invention is f l The combination with a switch stand, mast, and mast arm having a longitudinal slot extending through the bottom and front walls thereof and a rectangular recess in the front wall centrally of and at the upper end of the slot, and a switch lever pivoted between the side walls of the aforesaid slot, of a rectangular block held in. the rectangular recess and having a vertical slot extending therethrough from the bottom of the block and registering with the rslot of the mast arm, a transverse bolt receiving recess, the lower portion of which the vertical slot intersects, and a circular recess merging into the upper portion of the transverse recess, a gear fitting rotatably in the circular recess and having a key orlce therein, a front plate for the rectangular recess having a key orifice therein normally in a line with the key orice of the gear, a bolt provided with a gear rack and meshing with the aforesaid gear and slidably tting the transverse recess and normally extending across the upper portion of the vertical slot and against the front face of which the upper portion of the lever normally engages until the bolt is moved from its locking position to clear the lever end and permit its passage through the vertical registering slots of the front plate and block.

ALBERT EDWARD SHIRLEY. 

